The New Orleans Saints have plenty of positives to take away from their 47-10 win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 1. Their biggest takeaway may be how well their offensive line played.
Entering the season, there was plenty of mystery regarding the OL in New Orleans. Trevor Penning had to step up. Taliese Fuaga was a rookie making the transition to left tackle. Lucas Patrick was a veteran trying to prove himself as a capable interior starter.
After Week 1, a lot of those question marks seem a bit less cloudy. Penning played very well against a good defensive line, and the other pieces had really impressive outings, too.
According to Pro Football Focus, the Saints were the best pass blocking OL in Week 1.
Taliese Fuaga dominates in first NFL game
Fuaga was moving folks in both the pass and run game for New Orleans. Fuaga's run blocking is what made scouts get excited about this game as a college prospect.
In Klint Kubiak's scheme, it looks like his pass protection has taken a step forward already as well. Fuaga had the highest pass block win rate of any rookie tackle (94%), according to Seth Walder.
If Fuaga plays this way all season, the Saints found a cornerstone left tackle for years to come in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Saints OL surprises fans against Panthers
The rookie was not the only impressive piece. Veteran Erik McCoy dazzled inside for the Saints in Week 1, not allowing a single sack or pressure. Derek Carr stayed upright and dominated.
McCoy totaled a 90.7 overall PFF grade in the season opener. That was the best on the team. Carr was in second with an 87.5 grade.
Plus, let's give Trevor Penning some flowers. It is one week, and New Orleans needs consistency from him.
That being said, he was a salty blocker in the pass game, an area that plenty of folks were concerned about entering 2024. He did get called for one penalty, but overall, a very clean performance from the young tackle who needs to blossom for the Saints this year.
All in all, the offensive line for New Orleans has fans feeling a lot better than expect regarding the overall offense. If they continue playing well, expect more success from Carr, Alvin Kamara, Taysom Hill, and others.
